Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-17
A GUID T0CHER.'
"Cic nc lsss vi lump o land. ~" '''''''

sad TO be in a hurry, seei"S ~ so" 90
waited TN he vas forJ-ivc, ana anu,
cr,v hairs were to ~ seen here ana
,b,re in the rough curly. brown hlir
,bst John had nCcr sacrificed yet 70
,rc fashion but holding his curls as
n covcripg to BE- desired, had sad al
v.,,e IN ,hc village barber, that II he
made HIM like a clipped sheep
IN Junc he uc'er would uArk-
en- the door again.. for John
M. ,rosl Of his curls. They had
I,.,n r,aised when he was laddie at
.l,t and his mothers hands had
nr,o g,Rlly strokcd them as she
..,a "No'Nc bonnie, HAIR, JOHNNIE,
,.v,nan. Tic would not for worlds
have owned 90 such weakness as vanity,
,,itvas there. and John wSsproud OF
H.. looks altogether. lie considered ne
vrs "a very handsome fcllow-pcr-
f,c,.v ,rrcsi,tib,c-a and many a good
I,ol JoDu took al his face on
sunday morn:ng And though at for
tv.Gyc Johu made M his mind to nave
a wife n YVES not that John h1d
not been near having one before. II"
nod hon very near sometimes, for -
q,at fir; WAS John. But Just when IL
came 10 tie point John had always
drawn hack IN time. IL was not goot
Of JoLu. and must have caused many
tears and much disappointment to the
fam ones And what the reason WAS
could never well be known. When
John had disappointed many far las
sic.. aud the countryside hid been
falkiueWon over his doings, the " couu-
tr,sidc" concluded that slnGlc-ble,sed-
ness vus too woll-prizcd 10y John for
him ever 10 give It up.
Ent il the good folks who made
these remarks had seen behind the
sc,n6s they would have understood his
6cIlCucss. John Geddes. considered
n1crfcct specimen of a freeman, was
tL.N,ricst slave to the will Of his prlm,
u,rn.iaccd sister Janet She rulcd
John by look. He had been under
her rule as child, and when years
went 10y, and his majority WAS long
ua.t. the habit 81 obeying ms calm,
storm sister did not leave him. Janet
ALWAYS insisted that she bad not mar
rcd ont Of disiutcrCstcd motives, and
held her unsclGsh conduct upto John
ewes when the poor man would he cast
INC longing glanccs over t. some quiet
corner Of the Kirk. So time went on.
and at forty-four John Geddcs WAS left
alone.
There was need Of a mistress AT
P,nt!v Frac. for Bcntiy Brac butter
Lad cot n wonderful name under Janet
G,dd,s's management So John got
an experienced housekeepcr 10 over
lock matters, and found that very eX-
um,iye arrangement. Johns trllis
ia.,'y lad been many FIR more than
hc Lad had under the calm rul" Of IN.
sister. And So John. worried and tired
If his new freedom, determined to en-
fer tho bonds Of matrimony.
.ohu never vet had cnt red rashly
into any bargain, SO IN this new pro-
i,rt l, considered the matter very
car, fully. First, since ne was marry
ut BE- might as well marry well.
John took "a good look at himself III
tie "lla,s ON the ely, and came to
ucc,rclu,!on that he had good points,
and 70 man with good points should not
throw himself away. He determined
10 have "cuid tochcr. Second
VI,r, was Ice 10 look for Il
v3t.2 II Was wrong Of Johnnie nev
.r ,rce thought Of looking among th'
.i,nlu hearts" No; John Geddc'
Lad very soon two good matches IN hi'
eve. lhc first WAS a desirable one II
johns eve. The lady farmcd a foo'
f,., some two miles south of BlrlN
Fr, village. besides beng propuetol
nm r,r own night of good many house
~ Rirlv Brac. She had wcll-stockeC
tim. and it had long been III the iam
u.s. Iobn Goddts and she were inr-1i
cousins. and John sometimes callet II
,,..iuq 10 ark for her. Then MIS-
n,uic Morrison was good housewife
and lad land 10y, people SAID goo'
stocking. g.,
To John IL seemed very desHlbl
match. and hc began at once to Sc
himself sitting IN the elders seats Il
Eirly Hmc Kmk, for as master OF To
Spo1Es his position would be D. lie
tlon that Of owner Of a little croft hk
Deptlv Brac. and Of course he wonl
Le chosen nm the next "bat,h, as Ii
csll.l the .lcot." "ltll he very re
eu.ctoblc marriage, said John Gcdde'
a. he dressed himself one IhurSda
forenoon with extra care for ohh wa
10 attend a funeral, aud determined l
LIN two birds with one stone; and a
lr vc.ld be IN Eirly Brac at any rate
Lee would go down the burn to ia
C,,ol. i'm tine afternoon and see tb
mistress.
II was - beautiful October aitcrnoo
vL,n John lett Birly Brae for tn
shook, The weather had got into til
.Irdisn summer, and, although til
l.a,,. were nearly all OF the trees, "
n.r couutiv didnOt look bleak and bare
John Gedd.s felt rs if he were trea'
i,oou air. The bride elect was not
beauty. and shecOuld beat John IN ag'
lut sic was a clever, handy farmer, an
Nor fields. as John ncaIed them, &c
toiply looked well. John had nev'
locked al stock as he did at the COW
feeding in the stubblc, nor at horses
he viewed two that. leaning over gat
mildly examined the wOuld.be bnd
Groom of theirmistross. John couutt
the corn ticks, he examined the Ia,
he Thought he would take look at II
pics-and lac did. In his mind l
ia d M plans for improvements whe
he wonld be " gaun ABBOTT The yei
hens and ducks came in for their shal
~ criticism as he passed them on II
way up the ward to the back door. f'
ne back door was the principal el
trance at the Snooks, the front BEN
Left ia visitors Of state. 1t was not
any one TO enter the SnOoks kitche
vithoutadmiringit. The beautiiulcleal
landed floor, the old oak presses al
chairs. firm and strong, and, above al
srotless. Every bit OF brass; steel
I'm frightened up like gold ana $
vrr And John Geddes took 1t all
at a glance, and became more IN lo'
with the toche) than ever. =,
Miss Elspie Morrison, though u
mov;no hand and brain of all, was II
Lo,seIf attractive. She was as sharp
anfcdle and her face showed 1t clearl
Sbc wss not i'll natured, though, Al
was thoroughly pleased to see 81! n
e wee stem in on that Thursday ate
"V She turned from her baking to w
come him. and pointed to an arm-ch!
Coiu' Hii H. fro ae She sal